Draft Local Plan Will Help Us to Accomplish Are Noted Below
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Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Local Plan 2018 - 2037 Consultation Draft January 2021 Blackburn with Darwen Local Plan 2018-2037 Consultation Draft January 2021 Foreword I am pleased to introduce this document, which expresses our continuing ambitious plans for the progression and development of Blackburn with Darwen as an attractive place to live and work. The key challenge of our Local Plan is to meet the needs of our residents, workers, visitors and investors, whilst also securing and protecting the Borough and its environment for future generations. With this in mind, this document sets out our draft strategic policies which will steer development decisions until 2037. It also identifies the sites which could deliver growth in housing and jobs, the areas which could be renewed, and the sites which should be protected. The ‘Big Six’ ideas which the draft Local Plan will help us to accomplish are noted below. Further information on each of the ‘Big Six’ ideas is contained within the Plan and they are also illustrated throughout our exhibition material: • Blackburn Growth Axis: linking strategic growth sites across the Borough and beyond; • Darwen Town Investment Plan: delivering a potential series of major growth improvements for Darwen; • North East Blackburn Strategic Housing Site: a new neighbourhood on the edge of the town; • South East Blackburn Strategic Employment Site: to attract jobs and investment at a key motorway location; • Blackburn Town Centre Major Development Site: a unique opportunity to boost the vitality of Blackburn town centre; and • Infrastructure Delivery Plan: an important series of interventions to improve infrastructure for all, such as roads, schools and health facilities. II Blackburn with Darwen Local Plan 2018-2037 Consultation Draft January 2021 Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has recently declared a Climate Emergency so that presents a challenge of balancing growth in the borough with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As a ‘Balanced Growth’ strategy, development is proposed in suitable locations to facilitate the inward investment and new development that Blackburn with Darwen needs. At the same time, it seeks to protect the most valuable features of the environment throughout the Borough. We believe that the draft Local Plan strikes the right balance between these two priorities although we accept that not everyone will agree with us. Everyone and every piece of land in the Borough is affected by the Local Plan. We are therefore engaging with residents, businesses, developers, landowners, interest groups, statutory consultees and other interested parties at every key stage in the development of this Local Plan. Obviously, the coronavirus pandemic means that we may not be able to do our usual face to face presentations and meetings but I would still like to strongly encourage everyone to make your views known, so where necessary we can adapt the plan in response to your valuable feedback. Councillor Phil Riley Executive Member for Growth & Development Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council III Blackburn with Darwen Local Plan 2018-2037 Consultation Draft January 2021 Contents 1. Introduction 7 1.1 Purpose 7 1.2 Background and evidence base 10 1.3 National Planning Policy and the Planning White Paper 10 1.4 Document structure 11 1.5 How to get involved 13 2 The Plan 14 2.1 The Vision 14 2.2 The Strategic Objectives 15 2.3 A Balanced Growth Strategy 18 3 Core Policies 23 3.2 Housing Development 24 3.3 Economic Development 29 3.4 Town Centres & Commercial Development 31 3.5 Climate Change & the Natural Environment 34 3.6 Health & Well-being 39 3.7 Design & Heritage 41 3.8 Transport & Accessibility 44 3.9 Infrastructure & Delivery 46 4 Potential Growth Areas 49 4.1 Introduction - what are the ‘Growth Areas’? 49 4.2 Growth - Housing 51 4.3 Growth - Employment 52 4.4 Growth - Mixed Use 55 4.5 Growth - Gypsy and Travellers 56 IV Blackburn with Darwen Local Plan 2018-2037 Consultation Draft January 2021 4.6 Growth - Major Infrastructure 57 5 Potential Renewal Areas 59 5.1 Introduction - what are the ‘Renewal Areas’? 59 5.2 Renewal – Urban/Village Boundary 60 5.3 Renewal – Town Centres 61 5.4 Renewal – District Centres 63 5.5 Renewal – Existing Employment Areas 64 6 Potential Protected Areas 66 6.1 Introduction - what are the ‘Protected Areas’? 66 6.2 Protected - Green Belt 67 6.3 Protected - Countryside Area 68 6.4 Protected – Local Green Space 69 6.5 Protected – Environmental Opportunity Area 70 6.6 Protected – Green Infrastructure Network 72 6.7 Protected – Blue Infrastructure 75 6.8 Protected – Heritage Assets 76 6.9 Protected – Areas Suitable for Wind 77 6.10 Protected – Safeguarded Land 78 7 Monitoring and Delivery 80 Appendix A: Key supporting documents 81 Appendix B: Housing Trajectory and the ‘Growth – Housing’ sites 84 Housing Trajectory 85 List of ‘Growth – Housing’ sites 86 Appendix C: ‘Growth – Employment’ sites 157 List of ‘Growth – Employment’ sites 158 Appendix D: ‘Growth – Mixed Use’ sites 182 List of ‘Growth – Mixed Use’ sites 183 V Blackburn with Darwen Local Plan 2018-2037 Consultation Draft January 2021 Appendix E: ‘Growth – Gypsy and Traveller’ sites 191 List of ‘Growth – Gypsy and Traveller’ sites 192 VI Blackburn with Darwen Local Plan 2018-2037 Consultation Draft January 2021 1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose 1.1.1 This ‘Consultation Draft’ document sets out a proposed vision for how the planning system can help to positively shape Blackburn with Darwen in the future. The new Local Plan will steer development in the Borough to 2037. Delivery of the plan will be kept in check through an annual monitoring process and a five yearly review to implement any policy changes to the plan where necessary. 1.1.2 This is a consultation document that forms part of the preparation stage of the new Local Plan and the Council welcomes your comments and feedback on its content. Once complete the new Local Plan will replace the adopted Core Strategy (2011) and Local Plan Part 2: Site Allocations and Development Management Policies (2015). 1.1.3 Throughout the period 2018-2037 the Council and its partners wish to encourage new development in Blackburn with Darwen that will contribute to our growth and regeneration ambitions. New development has a key role to play not only in securing economic growth for the borough, but also in securing improvements to our environment (and the Borough’s ambitions for carbon neutral status) and the health and well-being of the population. The Council will therefore be proactive in pursuing a ‘Balanced Growth’ strategy for the Borough that ensures that each of these aims are met. 1.1.4 In pursuit of this goal the Council will be proactive in working with developers and landowners to bring forward development that will create jobs, attract and retain a skilled labour force, secure investment in new infrastructure (physical, green and social infrastructure) and strengthen Blackburn with Darwen’s competitive position in the North West. To deliver these outcomes we need to create an environment where private investment can take place. 1.1.5 Our approach to planning aims to deliver this in two ways. • Firstly, our Local Plan aims to establish a policy framework which shapes and guides development, but is not overly prescriptive. We believe that producing high quality and sustainable development involves responding creatively and flexibly to the circumstances of a particular development. The role of planning policy is to support this and to set key parameters for such development to take place. It is to set the criteria against which developments will ultimately be tested when a planning application is submitted. • Second, and equally as significant, is the approach that the Council takes in responding to and negotiating on development proposals. We aim to provide a service that actively supports development in coming forward, from the earliest stages of identifying and scoping an opportunity, through the process of gaining planning permission, and into the delivery phase. Page 7 of 194 Local Plan Draft for Consultation - Exec Board v1.1 Blackburn with Darwen Local Plan 2018-2037 Consultation Draft January 2021 1.1.6 The Borough of Blackburn with Darwen directly borders a number of other local authority areas which are subject to their own differing governance and plan making arrangements: • Central Lancashire authorities of Preston, South Ribble and Chorley who are preparing a joint Central Lancashire Local Plan; • Greater Manchester authorities of Bolton and Bury who are preparing their own Local Plans alongside the emerging Greater Manchester Spatial Framework; and • Pennine Lancashire authorities of Rossendale, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley who each prepare their own individual Local Plans. 1.1.7 Figure 1 shows the Borough boundary in the context of the larger urban settlements in the sub-region. The Council is preparing its new Local Plan in co-operation and consultation with all of its neighbours listed in paragraph 1.1.6 under the ‘Duty to Co- operate’1. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the strategic issues where co-operation may be appropriate. Prior to submission of this new Local Plan to Government for examination (for further details see Section 1.2) the Council will prepare and publish a Statement of Common Ground to highlight agreement on cross boundary strategic issues with its neighbours. 1 Section 110 of the Localism Act 2011 sets out the ‘duty to co-operate’ Page 8 of 194 Local Plan Draft for Consultation - Exec Board v1.1 Blackburn with Darwen Local Plan 2018-2037 Consultation Draft January 2021 Figure 1: Blackburn with Darwen Borough sub-regional context Page 9 of 194 Local Plan Draft for Consultation - Exec Board v1.1 Blackburn with Darwen Local Plan 2018-2037 Consultation Draft January 2021 1.2 Background and evidence base 1.2.1 This document builds upon the ‘Local Plan - Issues and Options Consultation’ paper that was issued in February 2019.